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The belief that review websites favor large law firms that can provide a large number of reviews is a misconception, said the president and co-founder of ReviewSolicitors.
Saleem Arif dismissed criticism that review websites put companies that pay bonuses at the top of the list, saying the law firm ranked first on their site if you were looking for ‘lawyers in London’. paid no premiums.
Speaking at last week’s Solicitors Regulation Authority compliance conference, Mr Arif said a law firm’s ranking on ReviewSolicitors was based not only on the number of reviews, but also on their date and number of stars.
He said if you searched his site for Oxford employment lawyers, a freelance lawyer tops the list with “exceptional reviews” – “well ahead” of the big firms.
If you typed in “lawyers in London”, the firm that comes first is not a “paying client” but is very good at collecting opinions.
Mr Arif said the link between those who pay premiums and a high ranking is often due to companies that pay more have an incentive to encourage customers to provide feedback.
Research by ReviewSolicitors found that 56% of complaints on the website were about service levels, 24% about price, especially when customers thought they had been misinformed, and only 14% about quality.
Vicky Hosking, managing partner of attorneys at Smith & Co in Ipswich, said her firm sent a link to ReviewSolicitors to clients “at an early stage” to reassure them, before asking them to leave a review at the end of the service .
She said processing reviews required “constant investment” for her company, which has 16 employees, but could result in what has become a “race to the top.”
Ms Hosking said that providing reviews “really helped” deal with complaints, but “most important of all” meant employees could take responsibility for managing customer relationships themselves.
“The process becomes ingrained in your culture. There are so many advantages. “
A poll in the Birmingham boardroom found that a majority of lawyers in person were against using comparison websites for legal services.
One criticism from the public was that law firms were listed alphabetically on review websites, a reminder of the days of the Yellow Pages and of companies called “AA Taxis.”
Mr Arif said companies that provide reviews are ranked by an algorithm. Companies that did not provide a review were more difficult to deal with and the question of their ranking was “something that we are reviewing at the moment”.
David Abbott, a member of the Consumers of Legal Services Panel, said he wanted to see a “flourishing” legal services industry.
“The key issue is not the price, but the value for money and the dissemination of information on quality and costs in the public domain. “


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“All I want is a Pepsi, and she wouldn’t give it to me
All I wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi, and she wouldn’t give it to me
Just a Pepsi!”
– Suicidal Tendencies, “Institutionalized”
If you want a Pepsi, or a locally made beverage at a City of Edmonton facility, chances are you will be out of luck.
On Monday, the Community and Public Services Committee voted to renew a sponsorship agreement between the City and Coca-Cola, but also passed a motion that all details of the deal have to be kept private.
But this secret agreement, and a similar private deal with beer giant Molson Coors, is a source of frustration for local beverage companies.
“[The City is] the only space we’ve approached where it’s just a full-stop no, that there are no discussions to be had,” said Matt Moreau, co-founder of Edmonton’s Earth Water, a company that takes proceeds from bottled water sales and works with the United Nations Food Programme to provide meals for hungry kids around the world.
“We don’t know anything about it (the beer deal with Molson Coors),” said Don McDonald, an Alberta Small Brewers Association board member. “We don’t know how much it’s for, how long it’s for, or even when it could be going to tender.”
Both McDonald and Moreau appeared before the committee Monday, to speak about how these multinational sponsorship deals are blocking local providers from having the chance to get their products into City facilities.
Ward Papastew Coun. Michael Janz, who has been openly critical of the Coke deal in the past, was the only committee member who voted “no” on Monday. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi and councillors Keren Tang and Jo-Anne Wright voted to approve the deal.

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In a major development, the US Federal Maritime Commission issued an order authorizing Commissioner Rebecca Dye to identify operational solutions to cargo delivery system challenges related to COVID-19, reports the Safety4Sea
The Urgency at Ports
The Order highlights that the recent global events have only emphasized the economic urgency of responsive port and terminal operations to the effectiveness of the US international freight delivery system.
- The Commission has a clear and compelling responsibility to actively respond to current challenges impacting the global supply chain and the American economy.
- Accordingly, the Commission has determined there is a compelling need to convene new Supply Chain Innovation Teams to address these challenges
- Commissioner Dye will engage key executives to participate on the Innovation Teams.
These executives will represent all facets of the ocean cargo system including public port authorities, marine terminal operators, beneficial cargo owners, ocean transportation intermediaries, liner shipping companies, drayage trucking companies, longshore labor representatives, rail officials, and chassis providers.
Commissioner Dye will begin her work by interviewing port directors to determine what steps they can identify to mitigate critical supply chain challenges.
Maritime Supply Chain, the Priority
The maritime supply chain extends upstream and downstream from the ports and closely located logistics centers to American exporters and importers and keeping the system functioning is a priority of national importance, stated Commissioner Dye.
She added that small and medium-sized shippers are especially affected by a lack of cargo storage space and are running out of options of where to send shipments once offloaded. To address this problem, she informed that the Pacific Northwest Seaport Alliance has identified sites in their complex that can be used to stage cargo and containers off terminals.
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Retailers face a midnight deadline today to convert to new terminals that accept credit cards embedded with a computer chip or be liable for fraudulent purchases made in their stores.
But the world of credit card processing isn't going to change overnight. Retailers can still accept the old magnetic swipe cards.
The new rules, which take effect Oct. 1, are an effort by banks and the credit card industry to have consumers use the new chip cards instead of the magnetic swipe cards that are more susceptible to theft and fraud.
As part of the switch, retailers will be liable for fraud committed in their stores with the chip cards instead of banks if they don't have the new terminals, said Rob Leonard, chief financial officer of the Retail Council of New York, a trade group helping merchants prepare.
"That's the motivation to become compliant," Leonard said.
Tens of millions of the new chip cards have been sent to consumers by MasterCard and Visa, though the complete roll-out will take more time.
Visa said today 158.1 million chip cards have been issued in the U.S. and more than 314,000 merchant locations are equipped with the new terminals. Small businesses account for nearly half of Visa's chip payment volume.
Visa said the "sweeping industry initiative" will take several years to finish.
Americans carry more than 1.2 billion credit cards.
The new cards, known formally as EMV (Europay, Visa and MasterCard) chip technology, are standard in Canada and Europe. Shoppers insert, or "dip," the chip card into terminals and enter a four-digit PIN to complete the transaction, a system that provides an extra layer of fraud protection.
The U.S. retail industry wants the same "chip and PIN" requirements, but banks and credit unions are opposed because of concerns about consumers having to remember the PIN numbers. As a result, consumers using chip cards in the U.S. can continue verifying purchases with a signature.
Nationwide, retailers are spending more than $8 billion on new point-of-sale terminals, according to the trade group Retail Industry Leaders Association.
In New York, the Retail Council has posted YouTube instructional videos about the new terminals and has talked to numerous retailers about the switch, said Ted Potrikus, president and CEO.
"We've been doing as much as possible to help them," Potrikus said. "We have a bank card processing program here, so we have been busy over the past couple months making sure the necessary terminals go to those who need them."
Potrikus said "hundreds" of retailers have bought the new terminals from the trade group. They cost $280 for existing participants in the bank card processing program, or $50 for new participants who agree to use the processing program for a year.
Dan Wedge, owner of Dove and Hudson Old Books in Albany, is among those who bought a new terminal from the trade group. Wedge said he's been accepting credit cards for about 20 years and never had a fraudulent purchase. About half of his customers pay with credit.
"As far as I can tell, it's a pretty soft deadline unless you're likely to be encountering fraud," Wedge said of the rules taking effect tomorrow.


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Posted 9:33 PM 3/20/2013 : Santa Barbara welcomes increased tax revenue
The City of Santa Barbara is reporting continued growth in key tax revenues, although at a slower pace.
City officials say Santa Barbara received more than $5.1 million in sales tax revenue for the last quarter of 2012. They say sales taxes for the second quarter of the fiscal year grew 4%
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Ridgefield mom creates flavored pumpkin seeds
"Superseedz" have hit the markets and the word is "mmm-mmm good."
"Superseedz" are homemade flavored pumpkin seeds, available in four flavors: curried; spicy; cinnamon and sugar; and sea salt.
They are the culinary creation of Ridgefield mom Kathie Rosenchein , who has raised five children on nutritionally sound and tasty foods.
You may have seen Rosenchein at Ancona's Market, offering samples of these tasty treats earlier this month. Ancona's is now one of many sites, including Nature's Temptations and Genoa Deli , where "Superseedz" can be purchased. Sold in 6 ounce packages, they sell in the $5 range per package.
Rosenchein has been setting up taste tables in 20 area stores to get her creation into markets.
"It all started when I wanted to make healthy snacks for my family," Rosenchein said. "I started making dry-roasted, curried pumpkin seeds for the kids to snack on and use in salads. I could barely keep them in the house. My son, Michael, now 19, and his friends were like little addicted squirrels, always asking 'Are there any pumpkin seeds?'"
When Rosenchein first decided to market the flavored seeds, she spent a year setting up tables at craft fairs throughout the area. She found there were two types of browsers: those who love to talk but who are afraid to try anything new and those who love to chat it up and give new things a try. It was this last group that showed such enthusiasm for "Superseedz" that Rosenchein decided to take the next step and take her seeds to area markets.
"I'd ask people at fairs what stores in their area they'd like to see 'Superseedz' in. Then I took the next step, getting labels, my nutritionals and found a packager in Brooklyn, who hand-packages them for me," Rosenchein said. "We plan to go to machine packaging soon."
Rosenchein joined the Connecticut Specialty Foods Group , which works hand-in-hand with the Connecticut Department of Agriculture to bring an awareness to the public about what specialty foods this state has to offer.
"When you think of Vermont there are certain foods you immediately think of," she noted. "We want to have people do the same thing when they think of Connecticut."
And she touts "Superseedz" proudly to everyone she meets.
"They're fabulous," Rosenchein said, "high protein, low carb and a good source of iron and zinc. They're good to keep in the car for a quick snack when you come out of the gym. For years, I brought them to parties and to the gym, sharing them, and I'd always be asked where they could be bought."
Rosenchein recommends using the cinnamon and sugar pumpkin seeds in oatmeal and in yogurt for a protein jolt to start your day.
"Starting your day with protein is like putting gas in your car," she said.
She uses the curried seeds in chicken salad. They are, she said, "a very mild curry, not overpowering."
Rosenchein finds much of the food choices on the market today mostly "garbage.
"I'm offended with all the garbage that's out there," she said. "From the time kids wake up to the time they go to bed they consume so much sugar and non-nutritious foods, between all the dyes, chemicals and additives."
Rosenchein can be found every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Farmer's Market in Newtown, at the intersection of routes 34 and 6 behind St. John's Church, selling "Superseedz." Stores that are carrying "Superseedz" place them in the produce section, she has found.


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EMI sees digital future
- Nov 22, 2004
The company said the efforts it was making together with the wider industry to combat music piracy were "making a real difference".
The group reported growth in sales of digital music and growing confidence that the industry was starting to recover after years in decline.
CDs, however, still account for most of EMI's turnover, and overall sales fell at EMI by 11.4% during the half year.
Download music revenue was £12.2m, up from £2.1m a year earlier, while the group's music publishing division saw its online sales increase to £6.1m from £2.8m.
EMI unveiled profits of the half-year of £36.9m ($68.2m), down from £39.8m.
Overall sales in the period were £851m compared with £960m in 2003.
The group attributed the profitability to a cull of artists, the merger of several record labels and the outsourcing of manufacturing operations in the US and Europe.
Chairman Eric Nicoli said: "We have already seen a significant year-on-year pick-up in our sales since the end of September. This, along with the strong growth of music DVDs and the explosive growth in our digital market activity, leaves us well placed to maintain our market share for the full year."


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- Auto Components
- 1 min read
Bharat Forge Q2 net profit drops 48% to INR 141 cr
Revenue from operations grew to INR 3,076 crore in Q2 from INR 2,386 crore in the September quarter last year
New Delhi: Bharat Forge has reported a 48% decline in its consolidated net profit to INR 141 crore for the second quarter ending September 30, 2022. The company had posted a net profit of INR 270 crore in the corresponding period of last year.
Revenue from operations grew to INR 3,076 crore in the period under review from INR 2,386 crore in the September quarter last year.
B N Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Forge, said, "The performance of the European operations has been adversely impacted mainly by lower than anticipated sales volumes for the aluminium forging business. The new greenfield aluminium forging facility in North America is still in a ramp-up phase and operating at utilisation levels below EBITDA breakeven levels.”
The company expects this business to turn around in the second half of the fiscal, he said.
"Looking ahead into Q3 FY23, we expect stable performance across both the domestic and export markets driven by higher-end market demand compared to Q2 FY23. The European aluminium operations performance will gradually recover over the next two quarters," Kalyani said.
The company said its board has declared an interim dividend of INR 1.50 per share of a face value of INR 2 each.
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Market Information > Food News Clipping
Food News Clipping
April 11 ~ 22, 2022
FAS/Seoul Monitoring of Media Reporting on Agricultural Issues
Today's Date: Friday, April 22, 2022
For Coverage: April 11 ~ 22, 2022
U.S. Sandwich Franchises are Entering the Korean Sandwich Market
Summary: ‘Earl of Sandwich’ and ‘Lenwich’, sandwich franchises based in the United States, are entering the Korean sandwich market which has been led by Subway in recent years. Earl of Sandwich will procure materials from the United States to maintain its original taste. Starting with the Apgujeong Rodeo Branch, it plans to open 20 stores this year. The New York sandwich brand Renwich opened its first store at the IFC Mall in Yeouido, Seoul this month. Since the Korean market for hamburgers has grown rapidly during the pandemic, demand for sandwiches, which are similar shape but healthier than hamburgers, is expected to increase as well.
‘White Meat’ is a New Trend
Summary: Food products using white meat are becoming popular among consumers looking for healthy and delicious food. White meat refers to poultry such as chicken, duck, turkey, and white fish such as flounder and cod. White meat with low calories and high protein content can be used to make various menu items, such as sandwiches, fish cakes, and cutlets. Subway's turkey sandwich is relatively low in calories (280 kcal) yet provides enough nutrition with turkey ham, various fresh vegetables, and cheese.
Milk Sales Surged During the Pandemic
Summary: According to CU, a convenience store chain, annual milk sales increased 8.6% in 2020 compared to 2.0% growth in 2019. Milk sales growth in 2021 is estimated to have reach 11.3%. Milk sales in the first quarter of 2022 were up 12.2% from the same period last year. CU launched a new series of milk priced lower than other milk products to respond to the increased demand for milk during the pandemic.
Sales of Frozen Dough Increase Due to International Grain Price Hikes
Summary: Bread prices are hiking as wheat production in the United States, the world’s second largest wheat exporter, has plummeted from last year. In addition, wheat flour prices soared as Ukraine, the fifth largest wheat exporter, was invaded. According to the Rural Economic Research Institute, the international wheat price has increased to $400 per ton as of April this year; it was $279 a ton earlier this year. Major bread franchises are upping their menu prices. More people are purchasing frozen dough to make bread at home. Shinsegae Food reported that its sales of frozen dough in the first quarter of this year increased 51% from the 4th quarter last year. Meanwhile online sales have increased 69%. Sales of frozen dough at SPC also increased by 40% last year compared to the year earlier.
E-commerce Platforms are Shutting Down Their Early Morning Delivery Services
Summary: Lotte On, an online grocery platform under Lotte Shopping, announced it will withdraw its early morning delivery service which was launched two years ago. A Lotte On official explained that they decided to focus on same-day delivery and pre-order delivery which are in higher demand. The number of same-day delivery orders at Lotte On increased 30% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period of last year. Kakao Enterprise decided to stop offering its grocery shopping service as well. Kakao Enterprise introduced its grocery shopping service through Kakao Talk in collaboration with E-mart, a hypermarket chain. The early morning delivery market is forecast to reach 12 trillion won in 2023, but most of the companies offering early morning deliveries are experiencing losses. An retail industry insider pointed out that early morning deliveries have low efficiency as they require a lot of investment in logistics and delivery personnel.
Hyundai Green Food Opens a Flagship Store to Promote Care Food
Summary: Hyundai Green Food is opening an offline flagship store of its private brand Greeting, a specialized care food brand. Care food products that previously could only be ordered online are now available for offline purchase. The flagship store offers a total of 380 items including vegan products and health functional food products such as vitamins. Imported products include Daiya vegan cheese from Canada, Chobani Greek yogurt from the United States, and Orthomol vitamins from Germany. Three nutritionists will be at the flagship store to recommend products tailored to each individual’s health condition.
Our Home Food Empire Launches New Menu Items Using ‘Super Foods’
Summary: Food Empire, a food brand of Our Home, launched four new types of menu items using super foods ahead of the spring season. Super foods such as oats, almonds, spinach, tomatoes, and garlic, which are rich in nutrients, are used in making soup, curry, and pasta. These menus will be offered at six branches including the IFC Mall branch of Our Home.
Lotte Supermarket Launches a Smart Farm Brand
Summary: Lotte Supermarket is the first in the retail industry to launch a smart farm brand. In a smart farm, operations are monitored and automated through IT technologies such as big data, the cloud and the internet of things (IoT). Amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent Ukraine conflict, smart farms are rising as an alternative for safe production and stable supply of food products. After starting with antibiotic-free eggs, Lotte will expand its product range to various vegetable and fruit products in response to increasing consumer demand for healthy food.
Kooksoondang Introduces Cardinal Wine from the United States
Summary: Kooksoondang, a Korean traditional liquor manufacturer, will exclusively import Cardinal wine directly from the United States through cooperation with the Jackson Family, an American wine maker. Cardinal wine is a strong flavored wine made by blending quality Cabernet Sauvignon from the vineyards of Napa Valley. Kooksoondang has already introduced three wine brands in partnership with the Jackson Family.
Shinsegae Invests in a Beef Import and Distribution Company
Summary: Shinsegae Group announced that it will invest 25 billion won in OK Meat, a beef import and distribution company. E-mart, a hypermarket franchise operated by Shinsegae group, said the market for imported beef has great growth potential. As of this year, imported beef accounts for about 60% of the domestic beef market and it has been growing at an annual rate of 10% for the past three years. Shinsegae group is expecting that OK Meat sales will increase rapidly by utilizing Shinsegae’s online and offline distribution channels, such as E-mart and SSG.COM.
Agricultural Trade Office, U.S. Embassy - Seoul
Tel: 82-2-6951-6848 Fax: 82-2-720-7921


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Verizon Wireless announced it will begin putting stickers on its products to warn customers that the phone tracks its owner’s geographical location.
“This device is capable of determining its (and your) physical, geographical location and can associate this location data with other customer information. To limit access to location information by others, refer to the User Guide for Location settings and be cautious when downloading, accessing or using applications and services,” the sticker warns, according to CNN.
The announcement comes after it was revealed that that Apple’s iPhone keeps a record of every place its owner travels that gets downloaded every time the device syncs with a PC or Mac. The record includes latitude, longitude, a time stamp, and the IP address for the wireless network the phone was currently accessing.
“Apple needs to safeguard the personal location information of its users to ensure that an iPhone doesn’t become an iTrack,” said Rep. Markey. “Collecting, storing and disclosing a consumer’s location for commercial purposes without their express permission is unacceptable and would violate current law.”
In a letter to Markey [PDF], Verizon said protecting its customers’ privacy was one of the company’s highest priorities.
Eric W. Dolan has served as an editor for Raw Story since August 2010,
and is based out of Sacramento, California. He grew up in the suburbs
of Chicago and received a Bachelor of Science from Bradley University.
Eric is also the publisher and editor of PsyPost. You can follow him on
Raw Story is a progressive news site that focuses on stories often ignored in the mainstream media. While giving coverage to the big stories of the day, we also bring our readers' attention to policy, politics, legal and human rights stories that get ignored in an infotainment culture driven solely by pageviews.
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In what is expected to give a major boost to the presence of Indian pharmaceutical companies in Africa, a new warehousing facility will be opened in Nigeria for exporting medicines from India to that West African country.
The Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil), in accociation with with Sankil Pharmaceutical, a local pharmacutical business agency in Nigeria, will open the new warehouse, according to statement issued by Pharmexcil.
Raghuvir Kini, executive director of Pharmexcil, Raghuveer Kini said in the statement that about about 40 Indian pharmaceutical companies have shown interest in utilising the warehousing facility in Nigeria which is expected to start operations within the next two to three months.
At a council meeting in Mumbai in February, Kini said that Sankil Pharma, which has its presence in Nigeria for the past 22 years, “will help assist Pharmexcil to establish the warehousing facility in the country”.
“This company (Sankil Pharma) also has vast experience of working with Indian pharma players who are members of the Pharmaceutical Promotion Council of India,” Kini said.
He said, the proposed premises where the warehousing facility will be set up has already been approved by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) of Nigeria and it is well suited for storing active pharmaceutical ingredients or APIs and chemicals.
“The council is also expecting similar approval from NAFDAC to even store the pharmaceutical formulations or any other pharma-related material at the facility,” Kini said.
He said that under its Marker Access Initiative (MAI) scheme, the government of India was also willing to give financial assistance to Indian pharmaceutical companies willing to take storage space at the facility.
“Under this scheme, the rentals for each company will cost less than 50 percent than the market rate,” he said
Sankil Pharma will act as a custodian of the goods stored in the warehousing facility. The company will assist the members in all aspects and will arrange for releasing the consignments from customs, store in the warehouse, and dispatch to customers according to instructions of the companies using the facility.
Additional facilities like cold storage and extra space will be taken care of by Sankil Pharma and the company will also assist the members in getting their products registered with NAFDAC, if required.
In order to assure Indian exporters, officials of Sankil Pharma have given the assurance that “the situation in Nigeria has improved a lot compared to 15-20 years back and there is no need to worry about robberies/thefts etc”.


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Hot food vending machines have been available from a range of suppliers, such as Italian company Bicom, plus the likes of Hallmark Vending and Revive in the UK, for a number of years. However, while they are popular in countries such as Italy, Asia and the US, they haven’t really caught on in the same way so far in the UK.
But Bidvest Foodservice’s ceo Andrew Selley hopes the SmartScreen technology incorporated in his company’s vending machines could change that by encouraging visitors to the nation’s hospitals, train stations, hotels and music festivals to try out a different way of consuming hot and frozen food and drink.
Bidvest Foodservice in the UK, which is owned by South African international services, trading and distribution parent company Bidvest, employs around 4,500 people and operates from 25 locations across Britain.
Working in conjunction with a Brighton-based developer of SmartScreens, Bivest Foodservice has developed a vending machine called Ooft, a development of its SmartStore vending machine, which features innovative consumer interfacing technology.
It will be capable of heating 15 ambient ready meals in just two minutes, as well as dispensing other ambient, chilled and frozen foods, including desserts such as ice cream.
Speaking at the British Frozen Food Federation’s annual conference last Tuesday (March 1), Selley described his company’s approach to innovation. Bivest Foodservice markets a range of four own-brand products: ‘Everyday Favourites’, ‘Premium Selection’ and ‘Farmstead’ and ‘Essential supplies’, which covers non-food items.
“Yes, innovation is sexy; innovation is exciting, but you’ve got to have some structure behind it,” said Selley. “We are trying to find partnerships with innovative entrepreneurs.”
The new Ooft vending machines, which have been trialled at a naval station, are capable of meeting variable demand for food and drink, 24 hours a day. They are likely to be targeted at a range of outlets: everything from offices and hospitals to music festivals, said Selley.
Ooft vending machines
He added that the appeal of the new Ooft vending machines will be the extended capability of foods it is able to dispense, together with the visual difference of SmartStore to conventional vending machines. The Ooft name apparently derives form noise some people make when they pick up something hot, said Selley.
“The key point of difference on it is a 27-inch touchscreen, which is a touchscreen when you are operating it,” said Selley.
“But when you are not operating it, it’s an advertising medium where you can do visuals of the food when it’s heated and cooked and all nicely presented. So that will be quite a big draw.”


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Microsoft has a major hardware event coming up and everyone’s expecting big things – and not just because we’re going to be seeing all of Redmond’s Windows 10 hardware. A Microsoft hardware reveal is almost always a high-profile event, with excellent devices being on show. Like only Redmond can do.
But at least one of those devices may have been spoiled, with a leak over the weekend of a couple of renders showing the Microsoft Band 2.
The render (above) shows off the curved display and changes to the build – with metal being in evidence on the redesigned fitness band – but doesn’t give us many ideas about specification specifics. Still, Microsoft’s hardware is as stylish as always. We’re still going to wait on the 6 October announcement so we can get all the details but this looks like something we’d wear.
Source: Windows Central


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There has been much discussion about whether the new Spider Man game will come to Xbox. It was first released for Playstation 4 and many people are hoping that it will soon be released for Xbox One as well.
The game has been praised for its stunning graphics and gameplay. It has been described as the best Spider Man game ever made. It tells the story of how Spider Man becomes a hero and features many of the iconic characters from the comics.
So far, there has been no official announcement about whether the game will be released for Xbox. However, there is a good chance that it will be as the game has been successful on Playstation 4 and Microsoft would want to capitalise on that.
Fans of the game are eagerly waiting for news about an Xbox release and will be disappointed if it doesn’t happen. However, they can take heart from the fact that the game is already an amazing experience and is sure to get even better with an Xbox release.
Will Spider-Man ever come to Xbox 2022?
There has been much speculation over whether Spider-Man will ever come to Xbox. The game was originally released on PlayStation 4, and many Xbox fans were disappointed that they didn’t get to play it.
There have been rumours that the game might come to Xbox in 2022, but there is no official confirmation yet. Some Xbox fans are hopeful that the game will come to their console, while others are sceptical that it will ever happen.
The game was developed by Insomniac Games, who also developed Ratchet and Clank and Resistance. They are a PlayStation-exclusive developer, so it’s likely that Spider-Man will never come to Xbox.
However, there is always a chance that the game might be ported to Xbox at a later date. The game was very successful, so it’s possible that Microsoft might want to bring it to their console.
There have been no announcements yet, so we will have to wait and see what happens. In the meantime, Xbox fans can enjoy other great games like Halo 5 and Gears of War 4.
Is Spider-Man PS4 coming to Xbox?
A recent article on Comicbook.com has sparked rumors that Spider-Man PS4 may be coming to Xbox. The article cites an anonymous source within Marvel who says that the game is coming to both platforms.
This rumor should be taken with a grain of salt, as Marvel has not yet made any announcements. However, it’s not impossible that the game will come to Xbox. After all, the last Spider-Man game, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, was released on Xbox 360 and PS3.
If Spider-Man PS4 does come to Xbox, it will be a huge win for Microsoft. The Xbox One has been trailing behind the PS4 in terms of sales, and a game as popular as Spider-Man could help to close the gap.
We’ll just have to wait and see whether or not this rumor turns out to be true. In the meantime, be sure to check out our review of Spider-Man PS4.
Why is Spider-Man not on Xbox?
There are a few reasons why Spider-Man is not on Xbox.
The first reason is that Xbox is a console that is owned by Microsoft, and Marvel, who owns the rights to Spider-Man, is owned by Disney. This means that there is a lot of overlap and potential conflict between the two companies that would need to be resolved before Spider-Man could be released on Xbox.
Another reason is that Xbox is a gaming console, and Marvel is likely looking to expand Spider-Man’s reach beyond just gaming. There are a lot of potential opportunities for Spider-Man outside of gaming, such as in movies and TV shows, and Marvel is likely looking to capitalize on those opportunities.
Finally, it’s possible that Marvel is not interested in releasing Spider-Man on Xbox because Microsoft has not been as supportive of Marvel’s properties as other companies have been. For example, Microsoft did not release a standalone movie for Guardians of the Galaxy like other companies did, and they have also been less willing to promote Marvel’s properties in general. This could be another reason why Marvel is not interested in releasing Spider-Man on Xbox.
Will Spiderman remastered come to Xbox?
There has been much speculation about the possibility of a Spiderman remastered edition coming to Xbox. The game was originally released in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 and has been re-released a number of times since then. So far, no announcements have been made about a remastered edition for Xbox, but there is certainly a lot of interest in the possibility.
There are a number of reasons why a remastered edition of Spiderman might be a good idea. The first is that the game is now more than a decade old and many people who might have been interested in playing it when it was first released may not have had the opportunity to do so. A remastered edition would give them the chance to play the game on a newer platform with updated graphics and features.
Another reason why a remastered edition might be popular is that the game has a lot of nostalgia value. Spiderman was a very popular game when it was first released and many people would love to be able to play it again with updated graphics.
So far, there has been no confirmation that a remastered edition of Spiderman is in the works, but there is certainly a lot of interest in the possibility. If it does end up being released, it is likely to be very popular.
Is Spider-Man coming to game Pass?
There’s been a lot of speculation about whether Spider-Man will be coming to game Pass. Some people are convinced that it’s only a matter of time before he’s added to the library of games that you can download and play for free, while others believe that he’s never going to make an appearance on the service.
Personally, I think that there’s a good chance that Spider-Man will be coming to game Pass. After all, he’s a hugely popular character and it would make sense to add him to the library in order to attract more people to the service. Not to mention, the game Pass team have already made it clear that they’re keen to add more big-name titles to the service in the near future.
So, what do you think? Is Spider-Man coming to game Pass? Or is he going to stay away from the service for good? Let us know in the comments below!
Is there a Spider-Man game for Xbox One?
There is no Spider-Man game for Xbox One as of now.
Although there is no confirmation yet, fans are hopeful that a Spider-Man game for Xbox One will be announced soon.
The last Spider-Man game that was released was back in 2013, and fans are definitely overdue for a new game.
There have been some rumours that the new game might be based on the upcoming movie, Spider-Man: Homecoming.
But nothing has been confirmed yet, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
Why is Spider-Man exclusive to Playstation?
Spider-Man debuted on the Playstation in 2000, and has been exclusive to Playstation consoles since then. There are a few reasons why this might be the case.
First, Playstation consoles tend to have more graphical capabilities than other consoles. This means that games like Spider-Man, which require more advanced graphics, can be better showcased on Playstation consoles.
Second, Playstation consoles have a larger user base than other consoles. This means that there is a larger potential audience for games like Spider-Man, and developers are more likely to create Playstation exclusives in order to reach this audience.
Finally, Playstation consoles are owned by Sony, which is a major video game publisher. This gives Playstation an advantage when it comes to securing exclusive games.
Ultimately, there are a number of reasons why Spider-Man is exclusive to Playstation. These reasons include the graphical capabilities of Playstation consoles, the larger user base of Playstation consoles, and Sony’s ownership of Playstation.


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Bentley showed off its Grand Convertible concept at the Los Angeles Auto Show, a massive open-top take on its Mulsanne model.
Building on its InControl app integration system, Jaguar Land Rover launches a new voice command hub for its 2015 models.
Green Car Journal chose the BMW i3 for its Green Car of the Year award, announced at the 2014 Los Angeles auto show, beating out such cars as the Volkswagen Golf, Honda Fit, and Audi A3 TDI.
With the announcement of a new Android Auto API announcement, third-party developers can start adapting their apps for in-car use today.
Whether they're Google Play Edition versions of your favorite smartphones, or running stock Android on their own, we roundup pure Android handsets that you can get right now.
At the 2014 Paris Auto Show, Audi is showing off a car we didn't know we wanted: a four-door version of its iconic TT coupe. Somehow it works.
Don't want to wait for an update to hit your device? Here's the easiest way to do it yourself.
LG Electronics posted its highest market share ever in North America in Q3, thanks to the performance of its newest flagship phone, the G3.
"Strange Magic" -- a new animated film from Lucasfilm and George Lucas will be released by Touchstone Pictures on January 23.
After investing $2 billion in a smartphone factory in Vietnam earlier this year, Samsung looks to open another facility.


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Autonomous Ride-Share Startup May Mobility Announces Minority Investment & New Partnership With Tire Maker Bridgestone Americas
【Summary】Michigan-based autonomous transportation startup May Mobility on Monday announced a minority investment from tire maker Bridgestone Americas (“Bridgestone”). The new partnership will include the future integration of Bridgestone’s digital and predictive tire technologies into May Mobility’s autonomous passenger vehicles.
Michigan-based autonomous transportation startup May Mobilily on Monday announced a minority investment from tire maker Bridgestone Americas ("Bridgestone"). The new partnership will include the future integration of Bridgestone's digital and predictive tire technologies into May Mobility's autonomous passenger vehicles.
It marks Bridegstone's first investment in autonomous vehicles (AVs) that will carry passengers. Bridgestone and May Mobility plan to launch their vehicle service integration plans later this year.
May Mobility, which is based in Ann Arbor, is developing autonomous mobility services for cities, state transit agencies, as well as private enterprises. Over the past five years, the company has provided roughly 300,000 passenger rides with its compact, electric self-driving passenger shuttles.
May Mobility's AVs are outfitted with a suite of redundant sensors for self-driving, including lidar, radar, and cameras that provide a 360-degree view of the environment around the shuttles for safe operation.
The Bridegstone tires will allow for even safer and more efficient operation of May Mobility's AVs. Bridegestone refers to its innovative tire technology as "Tirematics", which uses embedded sensors inside the tire to monitor pressure, temperature, tread depth and other data remotely and in real-time. The tire data can identify any potential problems, such as low air pressure, so it can be addressed before it leads to a flat, or worse a tire blowout.
May Mobility will also utilize insights from Bridegestone's proprietary predictive algorithms to monitor the health of tires installed on its fleet of AVs, which will help improve safety. For autonomous vehicles designed to operate without a driver that would normally be able to physically inspect or monitor a vehicle tire pressure, this additional tire data is valuable.
To collect and analyze the tire data from an expanding fleet of vehicles, May Mobility will leverage the cloud-based services of Azuga, a fleet mobility solutions company acquired by Bridgestone in 2021. Azuga will help the mobility company to improve business performance with its fleet management platforms, which also feature camera intelligence and route planning features.
May Mobility's partnership with Bridgestone will help make its AVs safer with more efficient operation. However, Bridgestone will also gain valuable insights into autonomous vehicle operations to improve its future tire products and mobility solutions.
"May Mobility is at the forefront of AV innovation and development, and we are excited to partner with the company through our broad service network of company-owned retail stores," said Brian Goldstine, President of Mobility Solutions and Fleet Management, Bridgestone Americas. "Our future plans to integrate the Bridgestone suite of predictive maintenance insights will help ensure that May Mobility vehicles operate even more safely, efficiently and sustainably."
As May Mobility makes plans to scale its autonomous mobility offerings to new markets, the company will be able to operate and service its fleet of AVs through Bridgestone's nationwide network of more than 2,200 tire and automotive service centers, operating under brands such as Firestone Complete Auto Care, Tires Plus and and Wheel Works.
May Mobility will also be able to leverage the company's mobile service provider, Firestone Direct, to handle any tire service needs while out on the road.
"The ability to operate and service vehicles using Bridgestone's 2,200 nationwide stores gives May Mobility an unmatched ability to scale across the country," said Edwin Olson, CEO of May Mobility. "This collaboration builds upon our shared mission of providing safe and sustainable mobility solutions on a global scale."
In 2019, Bridgestone said that the launch of autonomous robotaxis could boost demand for puncture-resistant "airless tires", which the company is also working on. The ability to avoid flat tires is probably the biggest advantage for use on autonomous vehicles.
May Mobility developed its own Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) for its AVs, with the goal of making autonomous mobility safer, more accessible, equitable, and sustainable. The company plans to continue expanding operations in the U.S. and Japan, building accessible and affordable AV transit solutions for cities and its other customers.
May Mobility is scaling its AV operations with a growing fleet of Toyota passenger vehicles, including the Toyota Sienna Autono-MaaS ("autonomous mobility-as-a-service") passenger van.
In January, May Mobility announced the initial closing of a $83 million Series C funding round led by Mirai Creation Fund II, which is known for supporting high-growth, high-tech companies. New investors include Toyota Tsusho, the trading arm of the Toyota Group, along with returning investors Toyota Ventures, Millennium Technology Value Partners, Cyrus Capital Partners, 1843 Capital, BMW i Ventures and Bay Lake Ventures.
Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.
Ford is Testing a New Robotic Charging Station to Assist Drivers of EVs With Disabilities
Ford Raises the Prices of the F-150 Lightning Electric Pickup Due to Rising Raw Material Costs
The BMW 7-Series to Feature HD Live Maps From HERE Technologies for Hands-Free Highway Driving in North America at Speeds up to 80 MPH
AutoX to Use the 'Eyeonic Vision Sensor' from California-based SiLC Technologies for its Robotaxi Fleet in China
LG Develops ‘Invisible’ Speaker Sound Technology That Could Revolutionize In-Vehicle Audio
Researchers at South Korea’s Chung-Ang University Develop a ‘Meta-Reinforcement’ Machine Learning Algorithm for Traffic Lights to Improve Vehicle Throughput
Zeekr’s New 009 Electric Passenger Van is the World’s First EV to Feature CATL’s Advanced ‘Qilin’ Battery With a Range of 510 Miles
Redwood Materials is Building an Electric Vehicle Battery Recycling Facility in South Carolina
- Apple Delays its Long Rumored Electric ‘Apple Car’ Until 2026, According to Sources
- Construction of Panasonic’s New EV Battery Factory in Kansas to Start in November
- Ford Motor Co is Recalling 2.9 Million Vehicle That Could ‘Roll Away’ After the Transmission is Shifted Into Park
- Tesla Sells 100,291 China-Built Vehicles in November, a Record High
- Rivian is Laying Off 6% of its Workforce, Citing Erratic Economy
- General Motors is Building a Coast-to-Coast DC Fast EV Charging Network in the U.S. in a New Partnership with Travel Center Operator Pilot Company
- Lucid’s New ‘Stealth Look’ Appearance Package for the Electric Air Sedan Compliments its High Performance DNA
- LG Chem is Investing $3.2 Billion to Build a Cathode Manufacturing Facility for Electric Vehicle Batteries in Tennessee
- Electric Truck Maker Rivian Opens the First Fast Chargers in Colorado for its Nationwide ‘Adventure Network’
- Drivers of 2010-2018 Lexus Vehicles Lose Vehicle Connectivity Services Due to The Recent Shutdown of 3G Cellular Networks


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A COUPLE was left devastated after their dream vacation was ruined due to the fault of the tour operator.
The couple have just £20 left to spend on a four-day holiday in New York City.
Michael Hulme booked a £1,168 package holiday through tour operator Hays Travel.
However, after he and his partner Kerry Barlow went to the Big Apple, they discovered their hotel was still unpaid.
Michael was then forced to pay an $800 bill, leaving the couple with only $28 (£20) to spend on the whole trip.
He contacted Hays Travel, who told him he would receive his refund within 28 days – it was too late for the couple to afford some of their top attractions. city.
The 59-year-old from Stoke was forced to ask Kerry’s brother to lend them some money so they could make the most of their “once-in-a-lifetime trip”.
Michael told Stoke Sentinel: “The trip was a surprise for my partner and a once-in-a-lifetime break as this is where she has always wanted to go.
“I’ve paid off my monthly package holiday installments and it’s all going to be paid off by March 2021.
“But when we got to the hotel, they said our room had not been paid for.
“I contacted Hays Travel and they said the holiday was canceled and rebooked. But as far as I know it has been paid for.
“If it was canceled why were we still being told we could still go on holiday?”
Hays Travel confirmed Michael’s money would be refunded, but it took him 28 days to get his $800 back.
Michael said: “We were only there for four days and couldn’t wait 28 days, that’s how much we spend on attractions. I only have $28 left on my card. Thankfully, I have $400. la cash that we can use to eat.”
He added: “It was very stressful and I don’t want anyone else to go through the same thing. It just ruins the holiday.
“I’m having a panic attack, I’m getting a bit depressed and my anxiety is starting to come in.
“You go all that way with no problem, but we were stuck there in this situation and my partner was in tears. I was so messed up, I didn’t know we could. doing what.”
Hays Travel is said to have apologized to Michael and Kerry, and given them £100 as a gesture of goodwill.
A spokesman said: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the disturbance regarding Mr. Hulme’s hotel arrangements. We have arranged for him to receive a full refund plus a full refund. compensation as quickly as possible.”
The tour operator blamed the hotel for the “mix-up”, but The Gallivant Times Square hotel said it wasn’t their fault either.
A spokesperson said: “This booking was canceled by a third-party website on 22 March 2021.”
Michael and Kerry aren’t the only ones who have their vacation plans ruined at the last minute.
The family of five’s first overseas holiday has been ruined after easyJet canceled their flight after they arrived at the airport.
Another family went through a similar scenario after Ryanair canceled their flight 45 minutes before take off.
A family of four won £2,000 after The airline’s mistake delayed their vacation by three days.
https://www.thesun.ie/travel/8223244/new-york-holiday-ruined-couple-hays-travel-stoke/ The couple’s dream vacation was ruined after a tour operator mistake left them with just £20 to spend


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You might remember the news that Samsung was working on a new smartwatch iteration surfaced a while ago. According to the information, the new wearable timepiece is expected to be capable of acting as a standalone smartphone, meaning users will be able to place phone calls right from their wrists.
Now, The Wall Street Journal reports the new Samsung smartwatch might arrive as soon as this summer. That’s mighty interesting, especially since Samsung has been said to be prepping an Android Wear smartwatch that will arrive around the same date.
So could they be one and the same? At this point we can’t say for sure, but more clues indicating one way or another will be certainly made available in the near future.
Most smartwatch products today are considered smartphone accessories and are virtually useless if you fail to pair them with a handset or tablet. However, the new Samsung timepiece gizmo will have the ability to place phone calls independently.
Furthermore, it could be used to send emails and take pictures and comes equipped with GPS, Bluetooth, and heart monitor.
The sources declined to say what designation the phone calling smartwatch will have, but we already have an idea of that.
Back in April, Samsung trademarked with the USPTO the Gear Solo, which in all possibility could turn out to be the smartwatch we have been talking about above.
Currently, Samsung has four wearables on the market – the original Galaxy Gear that runs Android but will soon be updated to Tizen, the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, which both take advantage of the Tizen platform, and the Gear Fit, which has an OS of its own.
The company has been marketing them intensely using ads of all kinds, but some market watchers believe smartwatches aren’t likely to bring about lots of revenue yet, even if they come equipped with phoning capabilities.
“There’s still the question of why people really need to buy smartwatches today. Samsung is estimated to be the dominant vendor of wearables, but it will take quite a bit of time for sales to contribute to the company’s earnings,” claimed Lee Seung-woo, analyst at IBK Securities in Seoul.
It’s interesting to note that Samsung’s focusing on smartwatches has another motive in the back. The Korean tech giant is trying to increasingly push its Tizen operating system, so the smartwatches could be considered as a testing ground for the budding platform.
So, would you be more interested in picking up a smartwatch if it had phone calling capabilities?


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CORONAVIRUS: 5,000 Boxes of Food Items to be delivered to Ghanaians .
About five thousand(5000) boxes of food items are being packaged to be delivered to Ghanaians in restricted areas in the comfort of their homes.
Earlier, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Cynthia Morrison revealed the government’s intension to distribute food to Ghanaians in lockdown areas to cushion them for combat against the novel coronavirus.
The Inter Programming and Manufacturing Co(IPMC) established this initiative with the help of the government of Ghana and is expected to deliver them coming Monday, 20 April 2020.
The exercise which began on Sunday, 19 April 2020 at the Presbyterian Senior High School at Madina with over 200 workers, had volunteers drawn from the National Disaster Management Organisation(NADMO), various Municipal, Metropolitan, and District Assemblies(MMDA’s) and social workers.
The volunteers from the private sector were first of all made to go through Social distancing and personal hygiene protocols before packaging the food items and also trucks from private companies like Forwin, Ghandour, Azar Paint, Internet Solutions and Polygroup are made available for the conveying of the items.
See the photos below:


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Happy Hour Pal, a Honolulu-based startup that lets businesses promote special offers to users of its mobile app, is using Bluetooth LE beacons and Apple’s iBeacon service to push happy hour offers to consumers, Pacific Business News reports. “Our team has already deployed beacons to restaurants and bars across the state,” says CEO Brandon Bennett.
- ABN Amro pilots wearable payments with select customers
- Danske Bank brings Apple Pay to customers in Northern Ireland
- Dankort gets lockscreen mobile payments and Touch ID support
- Punchh brings Apple Pay to restaurant loyalty program
- East London gets local currency built on the blockchain


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Share This Article
Be there for Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka, when Africa’s first UCI*-registered team begins the 3 519km Tour de France this weekend. And celebrate with some fine wine from Nederburg, the squad’s exclusive premium wine partner.
The team is doing more than competing in the world’s most iconic cycling race. It’s also riding for a cause. Apart from igniting and spreading a love for cycling in Africa and helping to build the continent’s professional racing skills, it’s cycling for Qhubeka, a non-profit organisation that uses bicycles to make a socio-economic impact.
To date, Qhubeka has distributed bicycles to over 63 000 people in South Africa in return for social development projects or to reward academic excellence.
Qhubeka means “to progress” in isiZulu. Giving bicycles to needy South Africans increases the distance and speed at which they can travel, whether for work, school or community. Bicycles let riders carry more books, more goods for sale, and more medicines and other supplies they can distribute. That’s why Qhubeka can rightly make the claim that “bicycles change lives”.
Global marketing spokesperson for Nederburg, Dè-Mari Shaw said: “Nederburg is fully behind the team, and especially proud to be helping Qhubeka to reach more people, and change more lives.”
“Across the continent, Africans will be backing the team that has more than shown its mettle, its determination and outstanding skill. There have been so many World Tour highlights for Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka already. Earlier in June, team member Steve Cummings won the final stage of the Critéterium du Dauphiné while Edvald Boasson Hagen and Daniel Teklehaimanot secured the overall win in the Points and KOM classifications.”
She said Nederburg was not only one of South Africa’s best-loved and most-decorated names in wine, it is also currently ranked as one of the world’s most admired wine brands. Earlier this year, it was featured on the 2016 Drinks Internationallist of the world’s most admired wine brands. The 50 brands were identified by a group of 200 wine experts, including 30 Masters of Wine.


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Quitting Your Job For Fantasy Football
You may just call it late summer; for many die-hard sports fans, it's called fantasy football drafting season.
Fantasy sports is a huge business, with an estimated 36 million people in the U.S. and Canada picking teams and talkin' trash, according to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association.
And now we may be at a tipping point.
One man - Drew Dinkmeyer - actually left his job as an investment analyst to play fantasy sports full-time.
As Dinkmeyer explained to NPR's Jacki Lyden, he can afford to take such a risk because he gambles multiple games a day on upward of $500 each game — a far cry from the once-a-season cash outlay that many gamers throw down.
"So after a few years of playing," he said, "I started to have income levels that were commensurate with what I was making in the financial world. And it started to become more of a reality and less of a dream."
Dinkmeyer likens what he does to day-trading on the stock market.
"What you're doing is you're trying to find a company that is trading for less than it's really worth. ... So if there's a company out there that's priced at $50 on a given day, and you think that company is really worth $60 or $70, you want to own that company and invest in that company, and that's the same thing daily fantasy players are doing.
"They're given a list of prices for all the individual players, and they have to figure out which ones are worth more than those actual prices to compile the best team that can put together the most points."
Combined with his incomes as a writer for fantasy sports websites and a host on satellite radio, Dinkmeyer says he can live out this sports fantasy for the long haul.
"This is something that I imagine doing for the rest of my life."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Gerard Hoffmann, CEO of Poximus Luxembourg, visited GCCEI and Pangyo Techno Valley on 22 May, 2017, leading 32 economic delegates of Luxembourg,. The delegation is composed of key government and private sectors including Cisco Systems, Hitec, EXXUS, Deloitte Audit, University of Luxembourg, etc.
The delegation was deeply interested in Korean fintech startups. The delegation asked GCCEI to introduce one of them and Paycock, one of the fintech startups accelerated by GCCEI, presented their product to the delegation. Paycock Solution is a mobile easy payment platform supporting credit card payment and barcode payment and substituting any type of card reader machine or equipment by using smartphone application software. Through the app, Paycock Solution processes payments, such as credit card transaction approval and claim, by transmitting to credit card companies the encrypted text of a consumer’s banking information including the card number and card expiration date created by scanning the actual credit card without leaving the image data inside smart devices. Paycock was already invited by Startup Farm, one of the top accelerators in Brazil.
The delegation was also impressed by the smart umbrella developer Opus One. The statup was founded by one of the former best engineers from Samsung Electronics, Joseph Kiyoung Kim. If you just shake the shaft of an umbrella after you connect your smart phone to the umbrella via Bluetooth, LED lamp on the top turns green, meaning it’s not going to rain, and turns red, meaning it’s going to rain. If you forget the smart umbrella left somewhere, it’ll send you a message via the app Jonas, saying “you forgot me” with the exact location where you left it. The shaft vibrates when you have incoming phone calls or messages. You can also locate your smart phone as well when you forgot where you left your phone by shaking the smart umbrella. Since it rains a lot in Luxembourg, the delegation believed that Opus One might have a good sales chance in Luxembourg.
On the 5th floor in the GCCEI building, where the co-working space is located, they also met with Amadas, another Korean startup, which makes a smart digital door lock. Amadas has attracted many attentions due to its sophisticated design and great functions such as opening and locking the door via smart phone regardless of wherever you are. They discussed how Amadas can enter the European market.
The delegation was keenly intrigued by high tech startups. David Sehyeon Baek, Director of Global Cooperation & Marketing at GCCEI, introduced how to accelerate the high tech startups especially focused on IoT, fintech, and mobile games. He also presented UlalaLab, an affordable smart factory platform developer, and Ripplebuds, an earset with a microphone built-in. In addition, he explained about the importance of using all these technologies to enhance the productivity and at the same time the importance of how to reconcile human wellbeing and happiness with technological efficiency.
David led the group out to Pangyo Techno Valley, one of the most successful IT Cluster in Korea. Although it is not an organic one, it is becoming a Korean Silicon Valley, with many startups coming and working in the cluster. The annual revenue amounts to US$60 billion and 76% of the workers are mostly in their 20s and 30s.
The study delegation ended their visit hearing the importance of such as collaboration between the public and private sectors, the location of the accelerators and consistency of innovation policy not to be affected by politics.
Gerard Hoffmann said, “Korea is well known for its high tech industry to Luxembourg, so we didn’t hesitate to come visit Korea when we designed the study trip. Especially faced with the advent of the 4th Industrial Revolution, we wanted to know how to tap into all those technologies to boost the economy and welfare of the people, not to mention how to accelerate and support the disruptive innovators in this big picture. GCCEI shared their trials and errors very honestly, and so this trip helped a lot. The collaboration between the public private sectors cannot be overemphasized, since it is extremely vital. If possible, we would like to help the Korean startups enter the European market via Luxembourg, too.”
Kyeong-Joon Lee, CEO of GCCEI stated that GCCEI would continue to work with foreign partners to help foreign and Korean startups to enter the markets home and abroad.


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Thanks to social distancing rules and enhanced hygiene measures, non-essential retail, restaurants and pubs have been able to gradually reopen across the UK. Cinemas, museums and theme parks were given the green light in early July – followed by theatres, casinos and bowling alleys in mid-August.
Restoring consumer confidence in the midst of a global pandemic was always going to be a difficult task, but determined efforts by the Government are proving successful. With mandatory face coverings alleviating concern for more hesitant shoppers and incentivising schemes, such as the “Eat Out to Help Out” discount helping drive sales – Britain’s high streets are seeing promising signs of recovery.
With further store closures anticipated for the coming months – there are undoubtedly more challenges ahead. While the outlook is sometimes bleak; there is still much reason for asset management firms to retain optimism. The contraction and consolidation of the high street should result in better quality, more varied, experiential uses and activities.
Turning over a new lease?
Behind the scenes, the coronavirus pandemic has transformed the traditional arrangements between landlords and tenants. Large firms, including The Crown Estate, L&G and Capco are readjusting to the more challenging climate for occupiers by offering turnover-based leases – a payment scheme which is commonplace in the USA and Europe.
Turnover-based rents can benefit both occupiers and property owners. For the former it is a way to reduce rents when trading is hard, and give landlords more when times are better. As more companies adopt this method, it may well embed itself into the UK retail landscape and become the new normal for commercial leases.
While largely beneficial for tenants, asset management firms may struggle with turn-over based rent payments. The method instigates unpredictability, creating volatile income streams – thus limiting a company’s ability to plan for the future. It is therefore arguable that this won’t be a viable solution for many landlords who rely on a fixed income to finance acquisitions, pay dividends to shareholders, and cover their liabilities.
In the post-COVID world, successful urban centres will be characterised by less retail space. With plans to turn redundant space into new homes, we can expect town and city centre populations to grow – high streets will instead focus on uniting the community, with a wide range of services.
As home working has become a permanent fixture for many businesses, we can expect ventures such as coworking spaces to flourish. Smaller local retail centres will likely prosper as more attention is paid to the specific demands of individual local communities.
Beyond the planning reforms and the redevelopment of retail space, pre-pandemic Government funding schemes (including the Future High Streets Fund, the Towns Fund and City Deals) also provide opportunities to kick-start the regeneration of some centres and high streets over the short to medium term.
At Targetfollow, we understand that there needs to be a cohesion between local authorities, the private sector, stakeholders and the community to help drive the post-pandemic economic recovery. Now is the time to turn disruption into opportunity and bring new vision to towns and high streets.


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According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, the median Consumer Price Index rose 0.3% (3.2% annualized rate) in May. The 16% trimmed-mean Consumer Price Index rose 0.2% (2.5% annualized rate) during the month. The median CPI and 16% trimmed-mean CPI are measures of core inflation calculated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland based on data released in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) monthly CPI report.
Earlier today, the BLS reported that the seasonally adjusted CPI for all urban consumers fell 0.1% (-0.6% annualized rate) in May. The CPI less food and energy fell 0.1% (-0.7% annualized rate) on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Note: The Cleveland Fed released the median CPI details for May here. Motor fuel decreased at a 35% annualized rate in May.
This graph shows the year-over-year change for these four key measures of inflation. On a year-over-year basis, the median CPI rose 2.8%, the trimmed-mean CPI rose 2.3%, and the CPI less food and energy rose 1.2%. Core PCE is for April and increased 1.0% year-over-year.
Inflation will not be a concern during the crisis. Interesting, both the median CPI and trimmed-mean CPI actually increased in May.


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For over a decade, China is standing as the leading manufacturing hub of the world, outpacing every other country. Matching the Chinese manufacturing mastery and prowess is simply unthinkable. But the recent US-China trade conflict could prove to be an exciting opportunity for the countries like Vietnam, India, Taiwan and Indonesia, to take the baton from China’s hand. Other countries can move into low-cost manufacturing, where China until recently dominated. Deloitte predicts that the economies of Malaysia, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam, the “Mighty Five” or MITI-V, will inherit China’s crown for such products. The consensus among industry and regional experts interviewed for this article is that Vietnam in particular will be the next top hub for low-cost manufacturing.
The US, European and the Australian businesses are searching for the alternative options to outsource their manufacturing. Among the other countries, it is Vietnam that is quickly becoming the most preferred destination for sourcing products. Both the countries, China and Vietnam, in the course of history, have feared foreign domination, have considered the state as the driver of growth and have suspected the private sector’s initiatives. But now the things have changed a lot, as these countries are trying their level best to woo the foreign businesses. Vietnam represents an immediate opening for unparalleled market penetration.
The Development of Vietnam-
Vietnam is a densely populated developing country that has been transitioning from the rigidities of a centrally planned, highly agrarian economy since 1986 to a more industrial and market based economy, raising incomes substantially. Vietnam has seen impressive economic growth after liberating their economies. The Chinese workers have come to expect higher wages, so Vietnam has become the country of choice for reliable, inexpensive, well-trained labor.
Sourcing from Vietnam-
Vietnam is arguably the second best country to source products behind China. With recent changes in American trade policy, Vietnam is becoming even more attractive to foreign companies. Recent foreign-friendly reforms now allow foreigners to own property as well as majority holdings in Vietnamese companies. This has made Vietnam an attractive location for foreign investment and those manufacturers wishing to open their own factories. In 2010 that Vietnam became the primary supplier of Nike-branded footwear. At that time, Vietnam accounted for 37 percent while China remained a close second at 34 percent. Despite China’s dominance Vietnam punches above its weight and has several advantages over China.
Databases for finding Vietnamese suppliers-
- Vietnam Export
- VCCI News
- Global Sources
Common Products to Source from Vietnam-
Apparel manufacturers tend to have relatively wide product scopes. However, these are some of the more common products found in Vietnam:
- Children’s Products
- Outdoor wear
Vietnam Manufacturing is booming and finding the right supplier is getting easier but it’s not as easy as China and there are still several challenges. Moving to Vietnam must factor into a company’s longer-term strategy and will require familiarization with Vietnam’s regulatory and legal systems.


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Enterprise Ireland, the second largest investor in fintech companies in the world, showcased the capabilities of Ireland’s fintech sector at the Singapore Fintech Festival, which took place in Singapore from the 11-15 November 2019. Thirteen global leading Irish fintech companies, many with strong links to Singapore, will participate in the event representing a range of fintech capabilities from regtech to biometrics, currency exchange to insurtech.
Irish fintech exports to the Asia Pacific region grew over 200% in 2019. Ireland’s fintech advantage is particularly closely aligned with Singapore’s – both being anchored in friendly business environments that support innovation as well as advanced talent pools that enable those innovations to be realised and taken to market.
Irish fintech companies are establishing a significant footprint in the region through local partnerships and an expanded presence in the region. These include a recently inked deal between award-winning Irish regtech provider Know Your Customer and Singapore global private markets platform CapBridge to deliver fast and reliable client onboarding to investors on its innovative private market platform. Award-winning RegTech provider Know Your Customer will be powering the private investment platform’s seamless and secure digital onboarding process for all investors. This partnership comes after CapBridge received approval from its regulator to extend private equity access to retail investors – further lowering the barriers of private equity investing for Singapore investors as well as broadening the liquidity pool for companies on the global private markets platform.
Additionally, some of the milestones crossed by Singapore Fintech Festival-exhibiting Irish companies in the region indicate a growing demand for Irish fintech solutions.
- Money transfer service CurrencyFair launched their service to Singaporean-based consumers in June
- MyComplianceOffice(MCO) opened their Singapore office in September, with the impetus being an expanding business in Asia and Australia
- TransferMate gained their Singapore license in 2019 and also opened their Singapore office
- SupTech leader Vizor won a contract with the Monetary Authority of Singapore in 2019 adding to an Asia-Pacific roster which also includes the Monetary Authority of Brunei (AMBD) & Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA).
As a global hub for finance, technology and investor activity, Ireland is a hotbed of fintech innovation, helping the industry respond to challenges and opportunities from the digitisation of banking to new payments models and ever-changing compliance requirements. In 2018, Enterprise Ireland invested in 23 fintech startups and has invested in over 85 fintech startups since 2014. Enterprise Ireland’s portfolio of 200 + financial services and fintech clients generated over €1 billion in revenue annually. Six Irish fintech companies are on the global regtech 100 list including Fenergo were part of the Irish delegation at the Singapore Fintech Festival.
Ireland’s national Irish Advantage Stand showcased the capabilities of Assure Hedge, ClaimVantage, CurrencyFair, Daon, Ding, Fineos, MyComplianceOffice, Taxback Group, TransferMate and Vizor.
Speaking of the Singapore Fintech Festival, Mr. Kevin Ryan, Enterprise Ireland’s Director for ASEAN said: “Ireland and Singapore’s journeys in fintech have numerous similarities – not least the fact that both are small countries with a large impact on the global economy. Ireland is now the fourth-largest exporter of financial services in the EU, with over 250 of the world’s leading financial services firms operating here and nearly half of all global hedge fund assets are serviced in Ireland. It has also become a source of fintech innovation and in particular a centre for regtech and paytech innovation.
“We are seeing increased demand for the kinds of services that Irish fintech companies excel at delivering and we hope to see increased partnership between Irish and Asian companies in driving further innovation in the creation and delivery of fintech solutions.”


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Malls are starting to reopen in preparation for retail stores to follow suit, but a lot remains to be done to get consumers comfortable with the idea of in-person shopping again.
Simon Property Group Inc. began opening 49 malls in some states where lockdown restrictions were eased. Those restrictions had many malls and retailers shuttered since mid-March to help curtail the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. Now the challenge is to determine how best to maintain health, safety and social distancing among both retail workers and shoppers.
Curbside delivery, it seems, may be a go-to across the board.
In its own effort to get business going again, Chico’s FAS Inc. started offering curbside delivery for stores at strip malls, as well as a new shop-by-appointment service at its brands. At Tapestry, CEO Jide Zeitlin is adapting the curbside delivery option to storefront delivery for its reopened mall-based locations.
Inside stores, retailers are taking measures to improve cleanliness and communication about the new way forward for shopping. Contactless payments will also be on the rise as retailers look to limit touch points.
Macy’s Inc. CEO Jeff Gennette said last week that stores would open on a phase-in basis in accordance with state and local law requirements. The company will adopt enhanced cleaning measures, add signpost reminders for shoppers to keep their distance, as well as install protective plexiglass at points of sale where social distancing could be more challenging.
Malls that reopened over the weekend had reduced hours so centers could be re-sanitized before opening again the next day. Many had signage on the floors to direct one-way foot traffic, and some limited access in and out through one or two entrances. Food court layouts have already been redone in some locations to increase the space between tables and seats. Some, such as the Greenwood Park Mall in Indiana, a Simon Property center, had security guards posted at the entrance to monitor head count to keep track of density within the mall, and offered face masks and hand sanitizing wipes free of charge.
However, shoppers seemed to be largely missing.
At the North Georgia Premium Outlets, an NPR report said there were no lines upon opening and few cars in the parking lot. The story was similar for the Mall of Georgia in Buford, according to local reports, with just a few dozen cars and a cluster of shoppers here and there.
At the upscale fashion and luxury NorthPark Center in Dallas, Gabriella Santaniello, founder and CEO of fashion industry research firm A Line Partners, said only about 18 percent of its stores were open.
“I saw workers wiping down escalator handrails. People were social distancing and wearing face masks. Some retailers were requiring the use of hand sanitizers before you can enter their stores, and others had greeters reminding you to socially distance,” she said. “At the registers, no cash was allowed, so you had to use credit cards or a digital payment app on your phone. I saw tape on the floors telling you where to stand if you are on line and retailers were also monitoring how many people they were allowing into a store.”
Neiman Marcus was open at NorthPark over the weekend, but had plans to open Monday limiting operations to just its personal shopping service.
Urban Outfitters and its sister nameplates Free People and Anthropologie were also open at the mall, with some shoppers inside the stores. While Urban had plexiglass installed at its registers, Santaniello said, the others did not.
At Finish Line—which had released five new Air Jordan retro styles on Saturday—the traffic story was a different one.
“I was on a line of 25 people waiting to get in and we were six feet apart. They would allow only 35 people in the store at a time, which sounds like a lot but it’s not really because this store is massive,” Santaniello said.
Among the retailers that were open at NorthPark this weekend, fitting rooms were closed, which could thwart some sales for customers coming back to stores largely because of the need to try product on for size.
Will shoppers shop? And will infections rise?
While the slow rollout of retail has some optimistic about getting businesses back on track, there are still concerns reopening could see COVID-19 infections increase.
Respondents to a recent Cowen & Company survey indicated subdued confidence in returning to stores. Just 5.8 percent said they would feel safe returning to stores. Others who were recently laid off had muted consumer spending intentions, saving what financial resources they have for essentials like housing costs and groceries.
Similarly, a report from Coresight Research, based on a U.S. consumer survey conducted on April 29, showed consumers are keen to remain sheltered in place over fears of the virus. Roughly 73 percent said they expect to avoid public places after lockdowns lift, up from two-thirds one week ago. And half of all consumers expect to avoid shopping centers and malls after the lockdowns end.
“We saw significant week-over-week increases in expected avoidance at almost all types of places,” the report noted.
And while President Trump wants to restart the economy by easing restrictions and opening retail locations, some states that have relaxed their shelter-in-place mandates have found it hard to enforce social distancing or require residents to wear face masks.
Texas began allowing restaurants to offer a dine-in option, provided they adhere to a 25-percent-only capacity rule, and it made a similar concession for theaters and shopping malls. Since then, however, Texas has also reported four consecutive days of more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases, whereas it only had two days in April where the new case count was that high.
Even in states like New York, where restrictions are still in place at least through May 15, temperature in the high 70s on Saturday saw many New Yorkers headed to sections of Manhattan’s Central Park, where New York City officials dispensed police officers to ensure visitors observed the social distancing mandate. Challenges in a city so densely populated will be great upon reopening, and the infection rate will have to be closely monitored.
While some Americans may start to feel antsy in the midst of extended quarantines, stay-in-place orders could end up extending a little longer. A draft U.S. government report that circulated Monday and was first reported by the New York Times, said new confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S. will surge to 200,000 daily by June (up from 25,000 currently), with a daily death toll climbing to more than 3,000 on June 1, nearly double what it is now. A Washington Post report said the White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have “disavowed’ the report even though the draft, which had been turned into a slide deck, reportedly included the CDC’s logo.


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Advertising Age Article Abstract
Which Super Bowl Advertisers Really Bettered Their Buzz?
One More Postmortem Identifies the Brands That Benefited -- and Those That Lost Luster
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Despite becoming the most-watched event in TV history, this year's Super Bowl did not deliver positive buzz for every marketer that advertised during the game. The Colts lost in an upset, but brands such as Ford, Budweiser, KGB, Electronic Arts and Volkswagen also took a beating. ...


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Posted by Mark J. Miller on April 19, 2013 03:46 PM
Gap has had rough times in recent years, with hundreds of store closures and executive swaps. But the clothing company is hedging a unique plan that it hopes will help it continue growing market share worldwide under the helm of its new, more focused Creative Director Rebekka Bay.
Glenn Murphy, the company’s chairman and CEO, rolled out the blueprint Thursday, noting that the brand aims to franchise Old Navy locations internationally, add Old Navy and Banana Republic stores to the brand’s presence in China and have a stronger push across all channels for all of its brands, including Athleta, Piperlime and Intermix, Mediapost reports.
"We see [the opportunity for global growth] particularly in some countries where in our category, you're talking about double-digit growth just to keep up with the market," an exec said during the call, according to Fool.com, which named China, Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia as a few of the countries in question. Old Navy is expected to be the first of the Gap brands that goes into Asian markets that it hasn’t entered just yet. Up to 85 stores are expected to be opened before year’s end and 10 of those will be outlets.Continue reading...
Posted by Sheila Shayon on April 16, 2013 07:47 PM
In living rooms across the country, consumers are not watching just one screen, nor are they engaging with content in just one way as marketers and brands create increasingly innovative campaigns to keep consumers' eyes and ears on products.
Social media is now the acknowledged ‘elephant in the room’ as consumers increasingly engage in social activities while tuning into more traditional forms of content. According to Nielson's 2012 State of the Media report, nearly 41 percent of tablet owners and 38 percent of smartphone owners use the devices while watching television.
While some broadcasts like the Oscars and ABC's The Bachelor benefit from such a social tie-in, most brands and advertisers are trying to figure out how to better leverage multiple media channels to build viewership and engagement without losing ground elsewhere. This season, The Bachelor incorporated live Twitter feeds into its broadcast. "I think it is fair to say that the integration of social media into live broadcasting is still in its infancy," Tim Bock, VP of production, alternative series and specials ABC told Mashable. "There are other entities utilizing these technologies on a show by show basis. But we at ABC are looking at the bigger picture of large scale implementation of audience interaction capabilities.”Continue reading...
Posted by Dale Buss on April 5, 2013 09:01 AM
HP board shakeup and chairman exit gives CEO Meg Whitman a chance to shake off troubles.
BP faults Deepwater Horizon claims overseer, launches first brand-wide fuel loyalty program.
BMW prepares X4 crossover for U.S. market, makes vehicles greener with fewer cylinders, less gasoline.
Al Jazeera America hires CNN's Ali Velshi as anchor.
Amazon's Jeff Bezos leads $5 million investment round in Henry Blodget's Business Insider.
Apple reportedly signs music labels for streaming service as Google's YouTube clinches deal with Universal Music.
Best Buy may have turned the tide on showrooming Amazon.Continue reading...
Posted by Shirley Brady on April 1, 2013 08:59 AM
Apple loses iPad Mini trademark, and finds a fan in Kim Jong-un as North Korea rattles saber and tensions rise with U.S., while increased China headaches include hacking threat and iPad regulation.
Discovery Communications expands global channel reach and launches scripted programming.
Novartis loses cancer drug patent battle in India.
Amazon buys Goodreads community-driven user reviews website.
AMC reveals new tagline and logo.
Armani hires Cate Blanchett for $10M campaign.
AT&T scores with March Madness Twitter campaign.Continue reading...
Posted by Dale Buss on February 27, 2013 09:09 AM
AB InBev fiercely denies allegations that it waters down Budweiser, as its earnings are boosted by U.S.
Twitter sees potential valuation soar as it mulls IPO.
Cablevision sues Viacom for making it run second-tier channels.
AMC is propelled by "The Walking Dead."
Apple is expected to address cash horde at annual meeting as it tries to crack India market with iPhone.
Asus plans aggressive push in U.S. PC market.
Boeing encounters lack of battery expertise as probe of Dreamliner drags on.
Facebook opens up its ad exchange to sell everything but Google.
GM CEO Dan Akerson requests no pay raise for second year in a row.
Huawei kicks off branding campaign at Mobile World Congress.
In-N-Out Burger is kept on track by heiress.
Kraft debuts theme of Velveeta as "liquid gold."
Macy's plans to intensify digital efforts and issues upbeat outlook.
Milwaukee Brewers renew deal with long-time sponsor Miller Lite. Continue reading...
Posted by Dale Buss on February 3, 2013 02:04 PM
It's a classic football play: the end around, where the offense skirts the brunt of the defense in search of easy yardage on the perimeter. It's the same kind of approach being used for the Big Game by an increasing number of Super Bowl advertisers.
Well, they're not exactly "Super Bowl" advertisers. These brands avoid having to confront the $4-million pricetag of a full-run, 30-second Super Bowl ad on CBS by assembling regional and even national blocs of time on local TV stations. Because viewership on pretty much every CBS affiliate in America will be at an annual high on Sunday evening, just as on the network as a whole, these brands can be assured of getting great bang for their buck.
Old Spice is launching arguably the strangest end-run for Sunday. The P&G brand could well afford to take out a national ad during the game to promote its new Wild Collection campaign. But instead, Old Spice is running the ad above only on the CBS affiliate in Juneau, Alaska, promoting the brand's new premium line of guy scents including Wolfthorn. Alaska, you see, has America's biggest wolf population.Continue reading...
Posted by Dale Buss on January 22, 2013 05:05 PM
Super Bowl XLVII may be unique in that one of the biggest potential branding opportunities has suddenly materialized less than two weeks before the Big Game. And the opportunity is called the Brothers Harbaugh.
It seems unlikely that even the biggest brands would be able to land a deal with Jim or John Harbaugh, or both, this close to the Super Bowl, given that each is now consumed with how to beat the other's team -- and that, for the winner at least, there should be plenty of endorsement opportunities after the game.
But some marketers may be able to figure out how to tie themselves tangentially at least, maybe even convincingly, to what already has become the most intriguing Super Bowl story line perhaps in decades: the mutual success and striving of two accomplished opposing coaches, less than two years apart in age, who happen to be siblings. They're also young for their profession, telegenic, well-spoken and smart.
So we await news on Brother International or some other less obvious brand figuring out how to tap into all of that. In the meantime, there are plenty of other brands gearing up for a Super Bowl lift ahead of Game Day, including Mercedes-Benz.Continue reading...
Posted by Dale Buss on January 11, 2013 04:31 PM
Scrambling to get their teams on the field as kickoff nears, the drum beat from brands getting ready for the upcoming Super Bowl continues:
MilkPEP is going long with its plans to run its first ever TV commercial—a 30-second spot for its "Got Milk?" campaign—during the Big Game on February 3. Consumption of fluid milk in the U.S. continues to drop even as Americans keep eating more cheese and yogurt, so MilkPEP, the Milk Processor Education Program funded by the nation's dairy companies, is producing a spot featuring Dwayne Johnson, known as the Rock. He goes a long way to get his kids to have milk for their breakfast cereal.
This group has some branding chops, including the long-running campaign that adds milk mustaches to the upper lips of celebrities in print ads and includes its iconic slogan. But as the New York Times notes, until now, its Super Bowl marketing participation has been confined to running newspaper ads before or after the game.
It's also partnering with the National Dairy Council and the NFL, including New York Giants star receiver Victor Cruz, to get kids to eat better and be more active, under the league's Fuel Up to Play 60 campaign.
In addition to joining forces with Pepsi for a bigger Super Bowl retail push, Budweiser has unveiled more of its plans for its six Super Bowl ads. In addition to debuting a new Budweiser Black Crown brand — a higher-alcohol, more upscale version of Bud aimed at evening consumption — AB InBev will be plugging new beer brand Beck's Sapphire. It also will bring back the venerable Clydesdales, the iconic giant horses that have been associated with Bud for decades.Continue reading...


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The Chinese tourist industry has plummeted even after the reopening of the country from “zero-COVID” lockdowns, with the first quarter of 2023 seeing just a tiny fraction of visitors to the People’s Republic as compared with pre-pandemic figures.
The Wall Street Journal reported that half a year after China lifted the restrictions on daily life beginning this year, the number of international tourists visiting China has been alarmingly low, signaling a growing divide between China and the West.
In the first quarter of this year, travel agencies in China received only 52,000 inbound tourists, a staggering 99 percent decrease compared to the 3.7 million visitors in the first quarter of 2019, prior to the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic later that year.
The president of a travel agency in Pennsylvania told the Journal that he assists around 1,500 tourists in traveling to China every year. However, since the implementation of the COVID measures and lockdowns in China, the company has yet to receive any applications for travel to China.
Of the handful of tourists to mainland China, almost half were from within the Chinese cultural sphere — Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, and not from countries further abroad, such as the U.S. or the EU nations.
Other sectors withering
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Another group reluctant to go to China is foreign employees on company assignments. Dan Harris, a partner at a law firm specializing in consulting services for investments in China, stated that recent investigations by China into Western due diligence companies and other firms have made companies very concerned about sending their employees to China. People are only willing to travel to China if it’s absolutely necessary, he said.
With the decline in the number of visitors, be it tourists or business people, foreign direct investment in China also nose-dived to $20 billion in the first quarter of 2023, an 80 percent decrease from the first quarter of the previous year, Mark Witzke from research firm Rhodium Group told the Wall Street Journal.
Meanwhile, the relationship with the West has deteriorated as a whole.
In the wake of the exodus of qualified workers and businessmen in China, last month, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) enacted a so-called counterespionage law to increase public support for anti-spying efforts that made it even less attractive for foreigners to travel to China, let alone invest their savings in.
The law has raised concerns among foreign businesses about their regular commercial activities being viewed as spying and potentially penalized.
According to an announcement from China’s spy agency, the Ministry of State Security (MSS), issued on Aug. 1, the program will create channels for Chinese citizens to report “suspicious activity” and potentially receive rewards for doing so.
- China‘s State Security Calls Upon Ordinary Citizens to Become Counterespionage Informants
- YouTube Blogger Uncovers Fake EV Boom in China
- China Launches Campaign Targeting Online Rumors, Misinformation
- China’s Real Estate Giant Evergrande Loses Over $112bn in Two Years, Has Hundreds of Billions More in
However, it does not specify which kinds of information would be labeled harmful to national security and interests, so they could be anything, leading to the U.S. government issuing a travel advisory warning Americans in June to reconsider traveling to China.
The travel advice had to be tweaked due to concerns about arbitrary law enforcement actions, such as exit bans and unwarranted detentions, as they could be liable for punishment just for executing regular business activities.
The CCP regime, however, justified its actions by stating that it is under continuous threat from foreign secret operatives, most notably the United States, which was dubbed by a Chinese foreign ministry official the “empire of hacking.”